On the Monday after Pentecost, the Church celebrates the Feast of Mary, the Mother of the Church. In 2018, Pope Francis decreed that the ancient devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Mother of the Church, be inserted into the Roman Calendar. The Holy Father’s decision took into account the centuries-long tradition surrounding the devotion to Mary as Mother of the Church. He hopes to encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in her pastors, Religious, and faithful, as well as a growth of genuine Marian piety.
Reflection for today: Mary was the perfect Mother, first to Jesus, then to St. John (John 19,25-34), and now to us. She is not some distant saint to be admired from afar. She is family! Her love for the Church and for each of us is intimate, pure, and stronger than any earthly love. What a comfort it is to know that she is guiding the Church, always leading us closer to Jesus!
Let us pray. “O God, Father of mercies, whose Only Begotten Son, as He hung upon the Cross, chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, His Mother, to be our Mother also, grant, we pray, that with her loving help your Church may be more fruitful day by day, exult in our call to holiness, and draw to her embrace all the families of the world. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
